Verizon has tapped Erin McPherson, a former top exec at Disney’s Maker Studios and Yahoo, as head of content strategy, acquisition and programming.
McPherson takes over for Terry Denson, Verizon’s longtime VP of content strategy and acquisition, who exited the telco this summer.
In the role, McPherson will oversee Verizon’s content activities, including programming, acquisitions, development, strategic partnerships and original content. She will be responsible for managing programming across all Verizon’s platforms, including Fios TV and future over-the-top initiatives. McPherson will be relocating from L.A. to New York City, reporting to Brian Angiolet, Verizon SVP of consumer products and new business development.
“Erin’s impressive experience with cross-platform media and entertainment coupled with a proven ability to oversee large content divisions gives us great confidence as she joins our team,” Angiolet said in announcing her hire. “We are excited to hire someone with her credentials to lead key initiatives inside this dynamic industry.”
Verizon’s Go90 business will continue to be overseen by Verizon Entertainment GM Chip Canter, who joined the telco earlier this year from NBCUniversal. The telco has recently made key hires for Go90 including former YouTube exec Ivana Kirkbride as chief content officer and AwesomenessTV’s Steve Woolf as head of programming.
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McPherson previously was chief content officer at Maker Studios, before departing the last summer following Disney’s acquisition of Maker in 2014. At Maker, she led a team of 150 staffers, supporting the studios, programming, original content, series development and sales across platforms, strategic programming partnerships, talent relationships, branded entertainment, marketing and editorial content on Maker’s proprietary platform, Maker.tv.
From 2010 to 2013, McPherson was VP and head of video programming and originals at Yahoo. McPherson has led Yahoo’s video acquisition and development, including launching Yahoo Studios and cutting deals with such partners as ABC News, CBS, Paramount and Broadway Video for “Saturday Night Live” clips. She joined the company in 2007 as VP of biz dev for the Yahoo Media Network. Prior to joining Yahoo, McPherson was an entertainment attorney at Stone, Meyer, Genow, Smelkinson & Binder in Beverly Hills.
McPherson, who serves on the board of NATPE, received a law degree from Harvard Law School and a bachelor of arts degree from Middlebury College.
